a transformational investment in
Children’s Health℠
Children’s Cancer Fund’s $2.5 million investment in the new Dallas pediatric campus reflects a decades-long commitment to making life better for kids — and a family’s mission to turn their daughter’s legacy into lasting impact.
For years, Children’s Cancer Fund (CCF) has stood beside children and families through cancer journeys — helping make hard days a little brighter and pushing for breakthrough research discoveries that lead to lifesaving treatments.
Now, that same commitment is helping shape the future of pediatric care in North Texas.
In 2025, CCF made a $2.5 million commitment in support of the new Dallas pediatric campus, a joint project with UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The contribution reflects CCF’s longstanding dedication to kids and families, and its continued investment in advancing pediatric oncology care.
“This new pediatric campus represents hope for the future — a place where innovation, compassion and world-class expertise come together under one roof,” said Jennifer Arthur, CCF’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to invest in a transformational project that will elevate the standard of care and ensure children in our community have access to the very best treatments close to home.”
The new campus will be home to one of the largest and most transformative hospitals in the country. Named Moody Children’s Hospital, the hospital will be designed to meet the growing needs of North Texas and beyond, expanding access to leading-edge treatments, breakthrough research and comprehensive, family-centered care.
In recognition of the investment, a playroom for the patients and families receiving care in the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the new hospital will bear the CCF name.
“CCF has long been an extraordinary champion for the patients and families who are served by Children’s Health,” said Brent Christopher, President of Children’s Medical Center Foundation.
“This $2.5 million gift reflects a shared commitment to building a brighter, healthier future for kids. Generous investments like this bring us one step closer to opening a world-class campus that will serve many generations to come.”
She loved fashion and looked forward each year to dressing up and walking the runway, a joyful expression of confidence and resilience. In 2025, CCF marked the 35th anniversary of that event, a milestone shaped in part by families like the Shapiros.
After Melinda passed away in 2023 at the age of 44, Fred and Karen faced a deeply personal question: how to honor her life in a way that would continue to make a difference.
They established the Melinda Shapiro Medulloblastoma Research Memorial Endowment, created in partnership with CCF and Children’s Health, to advance research focused on one of the most common malignant brain tumors affecting children.
The permanent endowment provides sustained, long-term funding designed to accelerate scientific discovery and improve outcomes for future patients facing medulloblastoma.
Initial contributions were made by CCF alongside Fred and Karen, a shared investment in the future of pediatric cancer care.
“It’s meaningful to know we can play a role in helping children live longer and families experience better outcomes,” Fred said. “If there’s anything we can do to give families more hope, that’s what matters most.”
Over the next two years, she endured an intensive course of treatment, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, before being declared cancer-free.
“Children’s Health was wonderful then, wonderful now and soon will be even more wonderful with the new pediatric campus,” Fred said.
During Melinda’s treatment, the Shapiros were introduced to CCF, an experience that would shape their family’s involvement for decades to come.
They became deeply engaged in the organization’s early fundraising efforts, helping transform what began as a small fashion show into the signature gala it is today — an event that celebrates the strength and spirit of pediatric cancer patients.
For Melinda, the runway became more than a moment — it became a tradition.
An incredible legacy that continues to give
For Fred Shapiro and Karen Bradshaw, M.D., longtime Children’s Health and CCF supporters, joining others in supporting the health system as it grows is personal.
Their daughter, Melinda Shapiro, was just six years old when she was diagnosed at Children’s Health with medulloblastoma, a fast-growing and life-threatening pediatric brain tumor that impacted her hearing and vision.
